Denmark’s prime minister has called for the country’s citizens to overturn the country’s opt-out from EU defence policy in a referendum to be held on 1 June, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Historic times call for historic decisions,” Mette Frederiksen told a news conference on Sunday, adding that the government “very clearly calls on Danes to lift the opt-out on defence”.
Frederiksen also pledged to increase defence spending by 7bn kroner (£780m) over the next two years.
Calling it the “largest investment in recent decades”, Frederiksen set out plans to increase spending to 2% of GDP, in line with Nato membership requirements, by 2033.
Participating in the common security and defence policy (CSDP) would enable Denmark to take part in joint EU military operations and to cooperate on the development and acquisition of military capabilities within the EU framework.
“For me, as prime minister, this is a values-based decision,” Frederiksen said.
“Putin’s pointless and brutal attack on Ukraine has heralded a new era in Europe, a new reality,” she said. “Ukraine’s struggle is not just Ukraine’s; it’s a test of strength for everything we believe in: our values, democracy, human rights, peace and freedom.”
To accommodate higher defence spending, Denmark’s current budget restrictions will be eased, and the deficit will turn negative after 2025.
Frederiksen also said the main parliamentary parties had agreed that Denmark should become independent of Russian gas “as soon as possible”, although no timeframe was stipulated.
“We will also work towards this in the rest of Europe,” she said.
The referendum is part of an agreement reached on Sunday with a majority of parties in Denmark’s parliament, the Folketing.
The potential turnaround in the Nordic country’s defence policy, in place for 30 years, comes as other European nations also overturn long-held positions on defence and security after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.
Sweden and Finland, which are not members of Nato, have both seen public support for joining the military alliance reach historically high levels since the start of the war, and this week both governments announced closer partnership with Nato and with each other on defence.
Meanwhile, the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, overturned decades of defence policy by announcing a €100bn defence spending increase and sending weapons to Ukraine.
Denmark’s upcoming referendum will be the ninth that it has held since the 1972 public vote on EU membership.
After the public rejected the Maastricht Treaty in June 1992, Copenhagen obtained opt-outs in four sovereign areas: the single currency, justice and police matters, defence and EU citizenship.
In December 2015, the Danes voted no to strengthening their cooperation with the European Union on police and security matters for fear of losing their sovereignty over immigration.
